Mandel's account of confrontation differs from evidence

Tuesday

Oct 2, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 2, 2012 at 8:18 PM

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel said a political video tracker "made the initial physical contact with me" in an incident that occurred Friday in a public elevator, offering an explanation that is not supported by eyewitness accounts nor the video of the incident and is a twist from the original statement put out by the Mandel campaign.

Joe Vardon, The Columbus Dispatch

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel said a political video tracker “made the initial physical contact with me” in an incident that occurred Friday in a public elevator, offering an explanation that is not supported by eyewitness accounts nor the video of the incident and is a twist from the original statement put out by the Mandel campaign.

On Saturday, The Dispatch reported that Mandel approached and ultimately grabbed a monopod attached to a camera held by a tracker from the American Bridge 21st Century political-action committee, who had been following Mandel for several minutes and ultimately boarded the same Rhodes Tower elevator. Mandel, the state’s treasurer, was on his way to an Ohio Board of Deposit meeting in his Rhodes Tower office.

The entire episode was witnessed by a Dispatch reporter who was interviewing and accompanying Mandel over a period of a few hours Friday.

Asked about the incident by a different media outlet today during a press conference Mandel called, Mandel said he and The Dispatch “have a different recollection, but (the tracker) made the initial physical contact with me, which is inappropriate.

“But listen, these guys are doing their jobs, and I respect that,” Mandel said. “Whether it’s the guy we have on the sidewalk here, or other folks, I respect the fact that they’re doing their jobs, and we as public officials, whether it’s Senator Brown or me, we are accessible to the public and respect the fact that they have a job to do. And frankly the two young men we have traveling, who travel around the state following me, they seem like nice guys and good guys, and I respect the fact that they have a job to do.”

On Friday, Mandel campaign spokeswoman Nicole Sizemore said “Treasurer Mandel was friendly with him, asked him how he’s been, and introduced him to the reporter on the elevator.” She made no mention of physical contact.

Mandel has gotten substantial heat for several questionable claims he has made in this year's U.S. Senate campaign.

Trackers are a relatively new phenomenon in major political campaigns in which opponents or freelancers video record a candidate’s every public move and utterance.

The video of the incident shows, as The Dispatch previously reported, the tracker following Mandel into the elevator. But it also shows Mandel approach the tracker, say his name loudly, step to the side of him, and then the camera shakes. The tracker, whose name is Tyler Hansen, said "please don’t,” and Mandel relented, asking the tracker “how you been” and quipping “good to see you.” He also asked the tracker if he knew the Dispatch reporter who was in the elevator.

After Mandel and the Dispatch reporter got off the elevator, an unidentified woman who was also on the elevator can be heard on the video remarking to the tracker that she saw Mandel come "right over there to block” the camera. The woman can also be heard saying “(when) he walked in he scared me to death.”

In a statement to The Dispatch, Hansen said, “I view my job as being a fly on the wall, capturing the story unfolding in front of me while trying not to be a part of it myself.

“I understand that Mr. Mandel and his staff aren't thrilled with my presence at events, just as he understands I’m just a guy doing my job quietly and respectfully.

“What I don't understand, though, is why Mr. Mandel would stand in front of the media and blatantly lie about a 24-year old. The truth is that Mr. Mandel approached me, tried to grab and twist my camera. I asked him to stop, and thankfully he did. That's the way I remember it happening and what my camera footage shows.”

It is also what The Dispatch witnessed.

Asked if Mandel misspoke at today’s press conference, and if not, for a further account of the contact, Mandel campaign spokesman Travis Considine said: “The video shows our opponents’ tracker chasing Treasurer Mandel down the hall before jumping into the elevator with him, at which time the treasurer greeted him and introduced him to the reporter.”

Hansen does not work for Brown’s campaign, but Hansen’s outlet – American Bridge – does track Republican candidates and conduct opposition research on the GOP. There was a different tracker outside Mandel’s press conference, held at a private citizen’s home in Grandview Heights.

Today’s press conference was called by Mandel to highlight his opponent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s previously reported delinquencies on some property taxes for his Washington-apartment